Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EFCC) Shri Bhupender Yadav today launched the Workshop on ‘Capacity Enhancement for Effective Forest Management Project’, organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in New Delhi. The workshop was attended by senior officers of the Ministry and Senior Representative, JICA India. Representatives from Forest Departments of various States/UTs, Indian Research Institutions and Central Training Institutes in the field of forestry also participated.

The Capacity Enhancement project (2025-26 to 2031-32) seeks to enhance the capacity of frontline forest personnel in view of changing forest and wildlife management requirements, emerging climate and environmental concerns, and their increasingly diverse responsibilities in the field. It also envisages strengthening research and development to translate knowledge and research outcomes into improved training and sustainable forest management practices.

Addressing the inaugural session of the workshop, Shri Yadav highlighted that the project marks an important milestone in the decades-long cooperation between India and Japan in the forestry sector. He emphasised that forests are critical for addressing climate change, conserving biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. The Minister underlined the need for strengthening the capacity of frontline forest personnel from both operational and administrative perspectives.

Highlighting forest fire management as a global challenge, Shri Yadav said the project holds significant potential for enhancing technical and field-level capabilities in forest fire management, biodiversity conservation and climate action. He stressed that capacity building should go beyond classroom training and focus on the application of modern technologies and field-level best practices, while integrating the knowledge and experience of local communities.

The Minister further emphasised the importance of developing region-specific capacity-building modules that reflect local knowledge and challenges. He outlined key components of the project, including research and development for practical technological solutions, pilot projects for field-level application, strengthening training institutions for practice-oriented training, and sharing of best practices with SAARC and other developing countries. He called for translating the workshop’s deliberations into tangible action on the ground by combining traditional knowledge, scientific approaches and emerging technologies.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Eiji Wakamatsu, Senior Representative, JICA India Office, said the project aims to become a platform bringing together Indian and Japanese research institutions to develop solutions to global challenges and strengthen India’s leadership in the Global South in the fields of forest management, climate change and capacity building. He noted that JICA’s partnership with India in the forestry sector spans nearly three decades and has benefited more than 7 lakh people.

Mr. Wakamatsu highlighted that the second phase of the project, covering 2025-26 to 2031-32, focuses on wood transformation and livelihood generation, digital transformation for improved forest management, and collaborative academic research. He expressed JICA’s commitment to further deepening collaboration with the Union and State Governments in India for sustainable forest management and capacity enhancement.

It was informed earlier by ADG (Wildlife), MoEFCC, Shri Ramesh Pandey that the project has a total outlay of Rs. 537.10 crore, including a JICA contribution of Rs. 440.42 crore and Government of India share of Rs. 96.68 crore. The project is being implemented over seven years, from 2025-26 to 2031-32. The project will involve all States in India, with priority given to new participating States, while also supporting States that were previously included in a related project.

The project builds upon the earlier JICA-supported initiative and seeks to further strengthen sustainable forest management and the capabilities of frontline forest staff. The occasion also witnessed the release of the Project Brochure, outlining the key objectives and areas of cooperation under the project. The technical session of the workshop witnessed a presentation by the Ministry on the objectives and scope of the project, perspectives from JICA representatives and an interactive session with States, Research Institutions and Central Training Institutes.

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